CFC 37: Sketch Challenge

Hello Everyone,
I am loving this little stamp set - it's called  Scootin' By and is from Sweet Stamp Shop. I have a little red electric scooter, so when I saw this set, I knew I had to have it. I love this CAS-ual Friday sketch and the two (sketch and stamp) just seemed made for each other. I paper-pieced the body of the scooter with a retired Stampin' Up DSP - I don't remember the name. Anyway, be sure to check out the CAS-ual Friday blog.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

Last Post of the day: Clean and Simple Day Three

Okay,
Just one more technique I had to try before I packed up my crafts for the day - this one was creating a tone on tone look by using dies and creating multiple layers. I found this to be a bit time consuming and  I also found it difficult to keep the layers lined up. I think in the future I would just cut one layer out of chip board and cover it with cardstock. That being said, I do like the way this card turned out. TFL.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

Clean and Simple Card Class: Day Two (and one and five)

Hello Again,
This is my second post for the day, so if you didn't see the previous one scroll on down. As I mentioned previously I am taking an online Clean and Simple card class. I have finally found some time to day to try out some of the techniques they - Julie Ebersole, Kristina Werner, and Jennifer McGuire - are teaching us. So this card shows a couple of things. The main technique is for creating a one layer card. Julie Ebersole demonstrated that you can create a triangle with your images and sentiment to create balance - so that is how I decided the placement of the flowers and sentiment. Then on day five there was a link to her blog where Julie demo'd the technique of colouring directly on Kraft paper - I knew I had to try that. Also, on day one Kristina Werner showed us how hand drawing a faux frame could be used to create dimension. I love the way this card turned out - I am telling you these gals know what they are talking about. I would highly recommend this class.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

Clean and Simple Card Class: Day Five

Hello Stampers,
I am thrilled to be taking an online Clean and Simple Card Class, but I am a little behind with trying all the great techniques I am learning! I get up first thing in the morning and check what new technique they have for us that day - unfortunately I have to then head off to work! It was a busy week, so I didn't really get any stamping done - until today that is. So the first technique I wanted to try was from Friday's class - watercolour blocking. I did it two ways; the "Sending you Thoughts and Prayers" card is a direct case from the one demo'd for us in class. The "Praying For You" card I used the same technique but masked off the card front to create a grass and sky background for my tree image. I am pleased with the way they both turned out. I was having difficulty photographing them - they look so much better in real life. TFL - I am heading back to the craft room to try another technique.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

Clean and Simple Card Class: Day One

Hello Everyone,
 I  am thrilled to be taking the online Clean and Simple Class. Today's class focused on clean and simple sketches with Kristina Werner and Maile Belles creating cards as inspiration. Kristina's sketch focused on a onelayer card that uses a faux frame made by a background stamp as a way of creating dimension. Maile's card focused on using the negative die cut to create dimension on a CAS card. I loved both sketches. I cased Maile's card pretty directly, but played a little with Kristina's sketch. TFL.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

PPA 126 and Paper Players 77: New Memory Box Dies ... I think I am in Love!

Hello Stampers,
I have just discovered Memory Box dies and am in love. The range of designs, their intricacy and the ease with which they cut make them a must have. Much to my delight, my local craft store here in Ottawa - Heather's Stamping Haven - now carries them! I used the arboscello tree to make this card. It follows the Pals Paper Arts colour challenge this week: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, and Very Vanilla. Since I knew it was going to be a valentine, and since the colour "models" on the PPA blog have red lipstick, I felt adding a touch of red wasn't really breaking the rules! It also fits the theme challenge on the Paper Players Blog this week: All You Need is Love. To create the shadow for the tree, I first cut it out in NQN, and then in BBreeze and layered the two. The little heart is from the two-step owl punch. Be sure to stop by PPA and Paper Players to check the amazing designs. Tell me what you think!

Happy Stamping,
Meg

CAS-ual Friday CFC 34: Chipboard

Hello Stampers,
I have long admired the cards designed for CAS-ual Friday Challenges and have finally decided to play along. This week's challenge is to use chipboard. Yesterday I made some home-made chipboard heart embellishments with my heart nesties; so I took one of these and sponged it with some Melon Mambo. It is the perfect touch for this card. The stamp set I used is Modern Basics by Maile Belles. If you haven't already check out her blog - she has some amazing designs. Also, hop on over the CAS-ual Friday blog to see the amazing cards the deisgn team and other challenge entrants have put together. TFL.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

PPA 126: Modern Hello

Hello Everyone,
This week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts is a colour challenge: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy and Very Vanilla. Well seeing as I am not quite ready to put away my Papertrey Ink "Modern Basics" stamp set by Maile Belles - I decided to use it for this challenge. I cased this card by Maile. I think this design lends itself well in the blue PPA colour scheme. Maile has a very good photo tutorial which shows how to easily build this pattern. Thanks for looking - hope you enjoyed my take on PPA 126.

Happy Stamping,
Meg

Colour Q: Inukshuk Love!

Hello Everyone,
I have been playing with my new toys from Papertrey Ink. I got this stamp set, Modern Basics by Maile Belles, with an order I placed for my birthday. I love this set - it is clean and simple and incredibley versatile. I actually used it for some Christmas cards too! I saw the Colour Q challenge: Cool Caribbean, Calypso Coral, Cherry Cobbler, and Pear Pizzazz and thought I would give it a try. Apart from Cherry Cobbler, this combo had me stumped. Then I saw a picture of an Inukshuk and this pattern popped into my head. I sustituted Pool Party for Cool Caribbean and Lucky Limeade for Pear Pizzazz; I think the colour combo works well in this more masculine valentine's love note. Hope you like it - TFL.

Happy Stamping,
Meg